By LISA SCHLEGEL
Ellis Co. Treasurer-elect
In November, citizens elected me to serve as Treasurer of Ellis County. In the months since, I have been invited to consult with and audit 8 other County Treasurer’s offices. I have witnessed innovative practices other treasurers across the state use to make their offices function efficiently, and I look forward to bringing what I have learned to the Ellis County office when I am sworn in this October. I am looking forward to October with optimism.
Today, I am writing to share my concerns and address editorials written about the selection of public officials, and the nomination of the interim Treasurer.
When our former treasurer announced her resignation, the Democratic Party was charged with nominating an interim to complete her term. When I contacted the Democratic Party Chair to ask to be considered at the nomination meeting, he asked me, “Have you been in that office?” I said, “No, I have not been allowed in by our current Treasurer.” He communicated to me that several others were being considered, and I was not one of them. I will add, that the newly appointed interim has indeed been invited into the office by the current Treasurer so he can spend time with her before her last day in office. Which begs the question, why was I not extended the same courtesy?
Of the eight treasurers I have spoken to, all of them expressed, in their opinion, the most effective transition would result if I, the Treasurer-elect, took office early, a common, statewide practice in situations like this. They all labeled this “a non-partisan issue,” since the election has already occurred. Appointing me would have been in the best interest of all those associated with the Treasurer’s office, especially employees of the office, who will, in this case, have to transition from one manager, to another manager for 6 months, and then to myself in October. It is better for the county, as a whole, to not have our Treasurer’s office, the financial hub of the county, in a state of potential upheaval. Why did the Democratic Chair and committee-persons feel differently, and instead, decide to nominate a college student to be your interim Treasurer?
The second issue I will address is one Pat Lowry put forth in two of his latest editorials in the Hays Daily News. He wonders why several of Ellis County’s elected positions are “elected” by the people and not simply “appointed.” (I have to assume he means appointed by county commissioners, though he did not specify by whom.) In my opinion, that would be a bad idea. At the core of democracy, lies the very thing our Founding Fathers fought for, and that is representation. The voice of the people, heard through free elections, provides and “guards for the people’s future security.” Appointments do not do this. “Appointments” provide security for those appointing, and lucrative positions for their friends, students, acquaintances, etc.
The most glaring problem with an “appointment” system was coincidentally exemplified on 3 April when the Democratic Party appointed a person with no work experience to be the interim Treasurer. County Treasurer is not an entry-level job. As an elected official, all the plans I make involve one question first: How does this benefit the county? I would have hoped the committee chair and members asked themselves that question when they appointed a well-connected “professional student” as our interim Treasurer.
I see no benefit. In fact, it is a clear managerial detriment to the county. It could not be because the interim “has been in the office,” which seemed to be important to Schwaller, when we spoke. In an interview in the HDN, the interim said his objective was to “have a well-oiled office ready for Ms. Schlegel” come October. I admire the intention he has, however, what could he do to make the office a “well-oiled” machine in the 6 months he has? Who better to prepare the office for my 4 year term, than me?
From a managerial standpoint, to bring in a completely new person with no management experience (who is wholly unfamiliar with the office) is dangerous. While I’m sure our interim will spice up his resume and learn a lot from this process, how does that benefit the county? How will these 6 months, of him learning, getting up to speed, help make the office a “well-oiled” machine? By the time he feels like he’s learned something, I will be ready to take office, and he will be in Kansas City. Congratulations to Mr. Wasinger for aligning himself with the movers and shakers of Ellis County. But speaking for myself, I am not OK with my taxpayer dollars going toward “continuing Ed” for “professional students.”
Though this nomination is well within the Democratic Party’s legal right, I would say it reeks of ineptitude, but I know there are intelligent people on that committee, which begs the question, what are the real motives behind this nomination?
I feel uncertain of what may happen with an unprepared interim and the potential liability issues, and so unfortunately, I will also have to avoid spending time in the office until October, as some county officials have implied I may be able to during this interim time. Several Treasurers around the state advised me to keep my distance from the office of Treasurer until I take over in October, though most said it pained them to do so, because these 6 months could have been a great opportunity for me to get to know my employees at a more relaxed pace before tax time in November 2017.
I have a proposition regarding Pat Lowry’s articles about election v. appointment. I encourage citizens to get to know their candidates and vote conscientiously. That is why I wrote about myself and asked citizens to take the time to read my articles during the election. Yes, that is a burden placed on busy citizens, but they need to understand that our rights imply a sense of duty, and select their officials with pride. “We the people” need to “elect” our officials. The appointment of the interim is one immediate example of how an “appointment” system can fail when “party politics” get in the way of sound decision-making.
What might local politics look like if all elected positions (Sheriff, County Clerk, Treasurer, etc) were “appointed” as Pat Lowry suggested? It would amount to “Appointees” doing anything the commissioners (or appointers) tell them to do. They would work for the appointers, not the people.
An irresponsible decision was made by the Democratic Committee. If they wanted a “well-oiled” office, they would have put in the people’s choice. Now all they’ve done is thrown sand in the crankcase, and it seems that was their intention. I will, however, overcome these challenges with enthusiasm and resolve, and bring better leadership to the Treasurer’s office in October.
